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Doing homework is an integral part of a student’s learning process. However, how much time should be devoted to doing homework every day is hard to determine since every student has different learning styles and needs. While some children who do one hour of homework daily perform significantly better at school, others may spend two hours on homework and still show little to no increase in their grades. The amount of time a child should spend doing homework depends on several factors, including the child’s ability, the complexity of the assignment, and the amount of feedback given. Nonetheless, there is no clear-cut rule to follow, education experts provide some recommendations on how much time your child should spend on their homework.

Recommended homework time for primary school students

When young children start school, the emphasis should be on allowing them to develop a love for learning. Since young children usually still lack the necessary abilities to benefit from an assignment effectively, giving them lots of homework can add unnecessary stress, making it potentially counterproductive. Instead of homework, daily reading may be more beneficial, especially if the parents are involved. Research has shown that students who read, particularly those who read for pleasure, can perform better in school. This may mean that they graduate from secondary school with better results. Primary school students from Primary 1 to 3 should get only around 1 to 3 tasks every week, each of which should take no longer than 15 to 20 minutes. On the other hand, those from Primary 4 to 6 should be given around 2 to 4 assignments weekly, with each of them amounting to between 15 and 45 minutes. The primary purpose of homework at this age is to assist your child in developing independence and study abilities that will be crucial when they reach higher levels.

Recommended homework time for secondary school students

As students advance in their education, homework and the amount of time spent on it becomes more significant. The benefits of homework for students from secondary school onwards include the acquisition of learning abilities required to dive deeply into a subject and retain what they learn. However, this does not mean that secondary and JC students should be given too much homework. Excessive homework requiring 90 to 100 minutes can reduce a student’s drive and concentration. Therefore, while homework is essential for academic development for secondary and junior college students, teachers should avoid giving too many low-effort and repetitive assignments. Instead, they should instill consistent and healthy work habits and promote autonomous and self-directed learning in children. Regarding the recommended amount of time spent on homework, lower secondary school students should be assigned roughly 3 to 5 sets of tasks every week, each lasting 25 to 30 minutes. Once they reach upper secondary, they should then be assigned to a maximum of 5 weekly homework sets, spending about 45 to 75 minutes of work on each subject. This is because, in upper secondary, they should be sufficiently prepared for their O Levels which is in 2 years’ time.

Conclusion

There is no one-size-fits-all standard for how many minutes or hours children should spend doing homework every day. This is primarily because different children learn differently. There are a lot of factors that need to be considered when determining the amount of time your child should spend on completing their assignments. The ones mentioned in this article are only recommendations provided by education experts. Still, the best way to know how long your child should take to do their homework is to determine their unique learning style and needs. Moreover, if you feel that your child needs more focus and support for the more challenging subjects such as math and science, you should consider signing them up for primary science tuition or primary maths tuition in Singapore. Tuition centres are known for helping many students excel academically by improving their concentration, deepening their understanding of school lessons, while developing excellent and consistent learning habits. With that, there are some factors to take into consideration when choosing a tuition centre as well. Mavis Tutorial Centre is the one you need for the most effective and reliable tuition classes! We are a highly trusted tuition centre in Bedok with other outlets around Singapore, offering exciting and efficient classes in various subjects, including Mathematics, Science, English, and Chinese. Feel free to contact us to learn more about our courses today.